Apparatus for charging materials into open-hearth steel-melting furnaces.



No. 639,090. Patented Dec. I2, I899. J. POWELL, D. COLVILLE, In., J.JARDINE &. T. B. MACKENZIE. APPARATUS FOR CHARGING MATERIALS INTO OPENHEARTH STEEL NIELTING FURNACES.

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JAMES POWELL, DAVID OOLVILLE,

JR, JOHN JARDINE, AND THOMAS BROlVN MACKENZIE, OF MOTHERVVELL, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING MATERIALS INTO OPEN-HEARTH STEEL-MELTINGFURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,090, dated December12, 1899. Application filed November 11,1898. Serial No. 696,147. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we,JAMEs PoWELL,DnvID COLVILLE, J r., JoHN JARDINE, andTHOMAS BROWN MACKENZIE, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain andIreland, and residents of Motherwell, in the county of Lanark, Scotland,have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Charging Materialsinto Open- Hearth Steel-Melting Furnaces, (for which we have applied fora British patent, No. 9,024, dated April 19, 1898,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

The said invention has for its object to save time and labor in chargingmaterials into steel making or melting furnaces.

The improved apparatus consists, essentially, of an endless travelingband of suitable width, which may be of metal links or of canvas coveredwith protecting steel plates or other suitable material, this bandpassing around carrying rollers or drums held in a frame having aninclined guide at one end, down which the materials pass onto the band.The band is driven by a motor at such a speed that on reaching the partof the band opposite the furnace-front the materials will be thrown offthe band and through the opening or door into the furnace. Adjustableguides on the frame may be used to assist in spreading the materialsover the bed of the furnace. The apparatus is mounted on a carriagewhich can be moved along the melting-shop.

The improved apparatus is shown on two accompanying sheets ofexplanatory drawlngs.

Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a side elevation.

As shown in the drawings, there is provided an endless traveling band A,by preference of canvas-covered with metal plates. This band passesaround a roller or drum B, heldin bearings in one end of a frame 0, thisend of the frame being opposite the doors or openings in the furnace.(Not shown.) The band A extends to and around a second roller or drum D,held in bearings in the opposite end of the frame 0, which may be of anydesired length, so that its outer end is convenient to Where thematerials are. brought into the meltingshop. The bearings of the drum Dare adjustable by. screwed spindles E, so that the position of the drumD can be adjusted to put any desired tension on the band A, and the bandwhen of considerable length may be sup Fig. 2.

ported at intermediate points on rollers F G, The frame O is made withan inclined guide H, and the materials, of a size which will passthrough the opening or door in the furnace, are thrown on the outerupper end of this guide, down which they pass onto the traveling band A.The band is driven by an electric motor J (shown in diagram in thedrawings) through a belt K passing around a pulley L on the motor to apulley M on the axle of the drum B, the band being made to travel atsuch a speed that the materials 011 reaching the drum B will be thrownoff the band and through the opening or doorinto the furnace. Any othersuitable motor or engine may be substituted for the electric motor. Apairof guides N are hinged at the furnace end of the frame 0. Theseguides may be connected together by a link P and are capable of movementthrough the angles (indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1) by suitablyadjusting the screwed spindle Q, connected to one of the guides N by ablade-spring R, the eye S, through which the spindle Q screws, beingitself capable of rotation.

The adjustment of the guides N, as described, assists in spreading thematerials over the bed of the furnace by giving direction to the piecesjust as they pass off the band.

The apparatus is mounted on a carriage or truck T, running on wheels WV,so that it can be moved along the melting-shop to bring the band A insuccession opposite the doors or openings of the several furnaces.

What we claim as our invention is Apparatus for charging materials intoopenhearth steel-melting furnaces, having in combination an endlesstraveling band passing around drums carried in a frame, an inclinedguide at one end of the frame and adjustable guides at the other, amotor for driving the band, and a truck or carriage for carrying theapparatus substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES POWELL.

DAVID OOLVILLE, JR.

JOHN J ARDINE.

THOMAS BROWN MACKENZIE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM HAMILTON ARNOTT, WILLIAM WATSON.

